About

The Garden Village Housing Estate, located between Crossgates and Swarcliffe in the outer suburbs of east Leeds, was conceived, designed and built by Gertrude Bray. 

Born in 1906, Gertrude was a British builder, self-taught architect, urban planning advocate, and politician. Known as 'The Home Specialist', she was one of Britain's first prominent women builders, designing and constructing hundreds of homes in Leeds while also serving on the City Council and raising three children.

As the Garden Village development progressed, and following the ending of the Second World War,  the resident's thoughts turned to improving and developing the social and community aspects of their lives. A series of meetings in 1948 led to the establishment of the Garden Village Welfare Association.  Individual 'sections' focussing on Entertainment, Gardening, Children's, Sport and a Ladies group, whose special function was to care for the sick, the infirm, and the older residents —to bring comfort, help, and happiness where and when needed were formed.  Choral,  Drama and Dance groups followed.

Meetings took place in individual's houses, with halls booked in the vicinity where numbers dictated their necessity.

The need for a dedicated building serving the local community became clear.

Funds began to be collected. The Ministry of Education made a grant on condition that much of the building work was done voluntarily by the membership and that playing fields be provided.

Sufficient land was released by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1948, to warrant the starting of work on the site.

A Building Committee was formed the same year. This committee collaborated with Gertrude Bray (with much valuable advice from the City Architect) in designing the Community Hall.

Further funds were raised as a result of an appeal made on the BBC's Northern Service.

Gertrude Bray provided further assistance in the provision of resources at reduced cost, with volunteers providing some of the labour needed to construct and complete the building.

Officially opened on Saturday 28th June 1952, the hall found daily use for the many groups founded and run by the local community.

Management was conducted by a group of Trustees, supported by a large Council formed from members - made up of local households, who paid a membership fee of 3 shillings.

For many years, the Community Hall hosted a range of many and varied groups.

Times however change. Television and other forms of entertainment, together with other changes social life led to a decline in the interest of many groups and over time all of those original groups are no more.

Recruiting and retaining volunteers to take up roles as Trustees and Council members, increasingly falling to a group of older citizens,  together with a lapsed membership system for local residents have been increasingly challenging in recent years.

The Community Hall does however remain a valuable, if underused local resource. 

A number of groups and clubs, providing health and social benefits to the local and surrounding communities, continue to use the facilities on a weekly basis.

A small group of volunteers are determined to support the current Trustees to help maintain the Community Hall as a viable, going concern.

2026 saw a group made up of members from one of the hall's users, Pulsations Cardiac Exercise group, lead a series of cleaning and tidying sessions.

Meetings have been held on a monthly basis to plan the way forward and more of these, inviting local residents to become involved are planned. 

This is a potted history. More details will follow in the History section of this website.

We now look forward to a bright, sustainable and exciting future.